By: Petra Čutuk |
Honey as a Cure: Richness of the Magnificant Gift of Nature |
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Honey is a unique product of nature.
Honey has been considered a divine food since ancient times and it is one of the most important natural remedies in treating wide range of diseases.
Over 3.000 years old pots filled with still edible honey were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.
During Greek and Roman wars, honey was used for strengthening the body and faster wound healing.
Honey was also used for religious purposes such as deity worship and embalming the dead. Since it was expensive, throughout history it was exclusively utilized by the rich class.
Bees are the ones who are responsible for the production of this golden syrup. By transforming sweet flower nectar they produce honey of various colors, tastes and smell.
Honey Production
While bees are collecting flower nectar, this natural sugar coming from plants begins its transformation into honey.
When collecting nectar bees are mixing it with their gland and digestive liquids.
Then, the collecting bees pass the nectar to the working bees who store it into honeycombs and continue the process of airing the nectar.
At the same time, their gland juices start the decomposition of saccharose to glucose and fructose.
Furthermore, by the process of honey development in combs, water that varies between 40-50% decreases to 20% creating a ripened honey.
Then the bees close the honeycombs with a thin layer of vax.
Produced honey presents a mixture of various organic acids, amino acids, enzymes, pollen grains, essential oils, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals and other valuable ingredients.
Sugars contained in honey consist of fructose (41%), glucose (34%) and saccharose (1-2%).
Honey contains vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6, C, D, E, K, and minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, iodine, copper, chromium and selenium.
Honey is an exceptional source of energy because it is an easily digestible high calorie food that is at the same time a healthy alternative to white sugar.
Honey Healing
Honey healing is called apitheraphy and the list of its healing benefits is very long.
The most known healing benefit of honey is in relieving the symptoms of cold, flu, and other respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, throat and sinuses inflammation.
It is excellent for healing wounds, because it acts as an antiseptic, reduces pain, but also derives toxins from the bites or stings.
Apply pure honey to the burn in order to prevent blistering and induce skin healing (without leaving any scars).
If you are suffering from skin problems such as dry skin, rash, itching and other skin impurities use honey compresses.
Honey is very helpful with variety of digestive problems, constipation, gastritis and gastric ulcer. Honey compresses can help with all types of inflammation.
Also, honey can improve the levels of iron in the blood and reduce the blood fat, as well as enable body detoxification.
Its beneficial effects on eye problems such as cataracts and conjunctivitis are well known.
Different types of honey can be used for different health problems.
For example, sage and linden honey relieve respiratory problems and cold.
Lavender honey is used for gassiness and colic, it regulates heart activity, helps with gastric ulcer, improves urination, and prevents tension and migraine.
The dark chestnut honey improves circulation, helps with stomach, intestines, liver and gall problems, cures anemia, eliminates fatigue and boosts immunity.
Acacia honey is used for preventing cardiovascular problems and constipation. It helps with insomnia, nervousness and tensions because of its calming effect.
Meadow honey is recommended for allergies and for strengthening the immune system.
How to Know Which Honey is Natural?
Mix 2 teaspoons of honey and 6 tablespoons of alcohol. Gently heat over steamy hot water for 10 minutes.
If a white sediment occurs at the bottom of the glass, honey is artificial (which means that sugar has been added or that the bees were fed with sugar syrup), if not that is an indications that honey is pure.
Some think that when honey is crystallized that it is artificial, but that is not true.
Honey crystallization is a natural and occurs when glucose crystals separate and honey crystals form around them. This does not affect the honey quality, on contrary it is a sign that honey is natural.
Crystallization occurs faster if honey contains more glucose than fructose or if it contains more than 20% of water.
Application and Storage of Honey
We distinguish between flower and forest honey, depending on whether the sweet juice has been collected from nectar or honeydew.
Floral honey comes from flower nectar of for example acacia, linden, chestnut, lavender etc.
Forest honey which is made from honeydew comes from trees such as pine, fir, oak, willow, bogue etc.
In addition you can increase the healing effects of honey by adding herb mixtures. Add fragrant and aromatic flowers, leaves, seeds, bark or certain plant roots to honey and gently heat the mixture.
Honey multiplies the effect of herbal remedies, benefiting every cell in the body.
Honey has no expiration date, so if properly sealed you can use it anytime.
It should be stored in clean, dry and dark rooms at temperature between 17 to 19 C, never in metal bowls because that can cause chemical reaction of organic acids and metals.
When consuming honey don’t use a metal spoon, but rather a plastic, wooded or porcelain spoon.
It is important to note that honey loses its healing benefits at temperatures above 41 C and that is why you should be careful when adding honey that to warm beverages, making sure they are not too hot.
Your body will benefit the most from honey’s healing properties if you melt it in a warm liquid drink or leave it under your tongue for 2-3 minutes.
Interesting Facts
Bees are a true miracle of nature. We can only admire their way of life and their intelligence.
Karl von Frisch, a Nobel laureate, discovered that bees poses a memory of time and space and that they are using this ability when building a new hive.
It is important to note that bee colony works perfectly as a single unit when building a hive, producing honey or performing any other activity.
When flying in the dark, bees can recognize the exact location of a flower, nectar and pollen, together with other relevant information. They can distinguish about 130 various smells in the wildness.
Today, there are about 20,000 types of bees.
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